Face mask



Nov. 11, 1952 J RQSEN ETAL 2,617,415

FACE MASK Filed March 30, 1951 IN V EN TOR. J50? 038/;

Patented Nov. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATEN'I OFFICE JackRosen,Cambridge, and Frederick P. Nadel, Brookline, Mass.

Application MarchBO, 1951, S'erialNofilS-ABZ -4-Clainis. .1 The present:invention relates to a face .mask and more particularly an .oxygen mask'used therapeutically for a great number .oflillnessesin order to makeiteasierfor a patient to obtain the necessary oxygen in breathing. Thecommon practice at the present tlmeis to usea so-called .oxygententwhich .as'the nameimplies isa'tent which is placed over the bed of thepatient with permit the patient-t0 go on With such usual activities asreading,'talking, or whatever he might be permitted :to :do under thecircumstances.

The invention will be more fully describedin the specificationsset"forth below whentaken in connection'with the drawings illustratinganem 'bodiment thereof, in which:

Figure 1 shows schematically the system-of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows "the face mask for supplying oxygen asapplied 'to theface of an individual,

and

Figure 3 shows a view of the face mask as viewedtfrom the left side ofFigure'z.

In the system indicated in Figure l, the oxygen may besuppliedfrom acontainer I which is commonly equipped with pressure reducing valves "sothat-the gas flowing-through the flexible pipe 2 will beat the desiredpressure. The'gas'flowing through the pipe 2 is conveyed through acooler and humidifier-3 which is in the 'formpreferably of a plastic boxwith a removable covert on the top of it. The box is equipped with ahandle or support 5 by means of which it may be hung over the side'orback of the 'bed. The pipe 2 should be sufficiently long so as to permitthe box to be placed in a desired position somewhere "near the patient.The pipe 2 whichmaybe made of rubber'orplastic andwhichpreferably'is'flexible, en ters into'the bottom of the box '3wherein it provided with a number of ports or holes 6 through which theoxygen will bubble to an outlet I at'the top of the box. The box will befilled with ice cubesorcracked'ice with some cold water so that :theoxygen bubbling through the cooled box willbecome cooled and humidified.

.In :order that the "water will not back up into the oxygen pipe 2 toany degree, this may be raised .to alhigher level than the box 3 orelse-an upwardly extending loop may be formed in the pipe 2 to'bring thetop of it above the top level of the box. Usually these precautions neednot be taken, however, since the flow of oxygen is always in thedirection as indicated by the arrow A and the water in the containerwill not interfere with the flow of the gas. The outlet 1 is'preferablyin the boxproper and not in the cap,

although it may 'be in the cap if desired. The

outlet 1 may be part ofthe tube 8 which extends to the face'mask '9. Thetube 8 which is also flex- .i ble and may be made of plastic materiallike'a 'tube :8 extends throughthe-side face l0 of the mask .9 at thecornerwhere'the front face H and the bottom face Hi are jointed. Withinthe face mask, the tube 8 extends along the corner of the two faces justmentioned, across the face mask and is provided with openings or ports12 by means of which the oxygen seeps upward through the mask.

The'maskis shown morefully in Figures 2 and This'is pref erably made ofone or two main flat members. In Figures'2a-nd 3, the elements-comp-fisingthe two sides it and i3 'andthe bottom M maybe of one pieceof material while the face element H may be made of the same materialbut of a piece which is cut out in the shape of a ln'omboid with a topand bottom edges 4 5 and-i 5 respectively parallel to each other and-theside edges slightly'sloping downward toward each other. The single flatsection which is designated as a whole as H is then formed in a threesided element with peripheral marginal flaps i3 and i9 bent inward atapproximately right angles over the outer'face edge of the piece H andcemented by suitable cement in place. Both of the elements H and I! maybeof transparent plastic such as cellulose acetate, methyl methacrylate,or any othercommon plastic material suitable for the present purpose.The gauge of the material may be in the neighborhood of 20 thousandthsor=more. The top edge I'S'ofthe'face "H *is'face'd over -as'indicated at20 (Figure '2), so

3 that this edge will be smooth and the exposed edges of the sides andbottom are also provided with a binding tape 2| which is stitched to thesides and bottom as indicated at 22 but may if desired be glued orcemented to the same.

As indicated more particularly in Figure 2, the face mask is providedwith a definite relation to the human face when attached to it. The maskfor this reason is made in a number of sizes and is also provided withan adjustable attaching strap 23 which will be more fully describedpresently.

Referring first, however, to the relationship of the face mask and theindividual, it is to be noted that the mask does not hermetically sealthe face and actually provides a considerable opening between it and theface in certain regions. Along the edge 24' of the bottom face, the maskis brought up against the neck of the individual at a point near thecurve ofthe neck and the head. and for a short distance along the sideapproximately to the point where the attaching tape is, the side section25 fits fairly closely to the neck. From a position above this, however,along the convex curve section 26 the binding edge gradually works awayfrom its closeness to the face until at the top near the junction withthe front section at a point approximately at 21 there is considerablespace between the curve of the forehead and the mask and this continuesall the way around the front of the forehead as indicated in the sectionlabeled 28. The face mask is, therefore, shaped to conform tothe averagehuman face in such a fashion, namely, that when it is properly attachedin place on the individual at the top front of the mask it is spacedfrom the forehead with the spacing gradually diminishing around the sideof the head and approximately just above the attaching band when theside binding edge of the mask begins to come in contact with the side ofthe face. The rest of the edge of the mask is rather closely in contactwith the human face all the way around the lower portion of the side andthe bottom. For this pur pose as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, the maskis provided with a slightly concave edge along its bottom as indicatedat 24. The mask is attached preferably by a single attaching strap whichmay be and preferably is made in two parts clamped in swiveled joints orrivets 29 and 30 to the sides I and I3 of the mask approximately in itswidest section just below the portion normally occupied by the ear of anindividual. The strap sections 3| and 32 are preferably drawnapproximately straight backwards around the junction of the neck and thehead so as to pull the edge 24 of the bottom against the neck of theindividual. The section straps 3| and 32 are provided with adjustingclamping facilities which as indicated in Figure 3 comprise a series ofholes 33 in the strap 3| and a single button 34 in the strap 32 whichmay be fastened at any of the holes.

The mask has been carefully designed to accomplish certain results whichhave been found necessary. The oxygen or gas fed to the patient seepsinto and permeates the space in the lower section of the mask. This gas,it will be remembered, is cooled so that it is heavier than the normalair in the room and therefore has a tendency to remain down in the spacebordered on the one side by the individuals face, on the top partly byhis nose, and otherwise by the lower sections of the bottom of the maskand the .front of the mask in the region of the corner where the gas oroxygen is fed to the patient. The patient will breathe this cold air inthrough his mouth and nose and exhale the warm air in the same way whichwill quickly rise up around the front section of the mask and escapearound the top of the mask. It will, therefore, readily be seen that inthis fashion a continuous supply of the necessary oxygen is provided forthe patient and that circulation or discharge of the used gases areautomatically accomplished through the fact that the warm gases willrise to the top and escape after they have been used.

It has been found that the small face mask above described will provideas much oxygen to the patient in a better fashion than the large oxygentents. The supply is uniform, less oxygen is needed, and the patient iscomparatively free in his action.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. A face mask of thin, transparent, flexible, plastic material, capableof retaining its form, comprising side walls, a bottom wall joined withthe side walls providing a continuous margin formed to fit the side ofthe face and under the chin around the front of the neck of theindividual, a substantially flat front wall joined along its bottom edgeto the bottom wall and at its side edges to the side walls forming acontinuous surface with all said walls, with the side edges of the frontwall tapering towards one another in the direction of the bottom edge ofthe front wall, the upper edge of said front wall normally standingforward of the position occupied by the forehead of the individual towhich the mask may be applied, gas inlet means positioned in thevicinity of the junction of the front wall and bottom wall, and aholding strap extending from one side wall to the opposite side wallaround the back of the head.

2. A face mask of thin transparent, flexible, plastic material, capableof retaining its form, comprising side walls, a flat bottom wall joinedwith the side walls providing a continuous margin formed to fit the sideof the face and under the chin around the front of the neck of anindividual, a substantially flat rectangular front wall joined along itsbottom edge to the bottom wall and at its side edges to the side wallsforming a continuous surface with all said walls with the side edges ofthe front wall tapering towards one another in the direction of thebottom edge of the front wall, the upper edge of said front wallnormally standing forward of the position occupied by the forehead ofthe individual to which the mask may be applied, gas inlet meanspositioned in the vicinity of the junction of the front wall and bottomwall, and a holding strap extending from one side wall to the oppositeside wall around the back of the head.

3. A face mask of thin transparent, flexible, plastic material, capableof retaining its form, comprising side walls, a bottom wall joined withthe side walls providing a continuous margin formed to fit the side ofthe face and under the chin around the front of the neck of anindividual, a substantially fiat front wall joined along its bottom edgeto the bottom wall and at its side edges to the side walls forming acontinuous surface with all said walls with the side edges of the frontwall tapering towards one another in the direction of the bottom edge ofthe front wall, the upper edge of said front wall normally standingforward of the position occupied by the forehead of the individual towhich the mask may be applied, gas inlet means positioned in thevicinity of the junction of the front wall and bottom wall, the marginof the side edges and bottom having a binding tape finish and the topedge of the front wall having its marginal edg faced backwards onitself, and a. holding strap extending from one side Wall to theopposite side wall around the back of the head.

4, A face mask of thin, transparent, flexible, plastic material, capableof retaining its form, comprising side walls, a bottom wall joined withthe side Walls providing a continuous margin formed to fit the side ofthe face and under the chin around the front of the neck of anindividual, a substantially fiat front wall joined along its bottom edgeto the bottom wall and at its side edges to the side walls forming acontinuous surface with all said walls with the side edges of the frontwall tapering towards one another in the direction of the bottom edge ofthe front wall, the upper edge of said front wall normally 20 standingforward of the position occupied by the forehead of the individual towhich the mask may be applied, gas inlet means positioned in thevicinity of the junction of the front Wall and bottom wall, and aholding strap having two separate sections, the end of one sectionhaving a snap fastener applied along the periphery of one side wall forattaching one section of the strap and the end of the other sectionhaving a snap fastener applied along the periphery of the other sidewall for attaching the other section of the strap, and means on saidsections for adjusting the length of the strap to fit the head of theindividual to whom it is to be applied.

JACK ROSEN.

FREDERICK P. NADEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 69,396 Brayton Oct. 1, 186794,905 McNeven Sept. 14, 1869 1,820,237 Malcom Aug. 25, 1931 2,245,658Erickson June 17, 1941 2,248,477 Lombard July 8, 1941

